


politics and prose

by antijosh



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, author younghyun, editor jae, he just wants them to be happy okay, meddling wonpil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-07
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-03-18 01:20:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18975913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antijosh/pseuds/antijosh
Summary: Younghyun is a wannabe author in need of a book deal to get him out of his office job; too bad the one editor he has access to is his college enemy. Not even Wonpil can meddle enough to fix this.





	politics and prose

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [day6_ficfest](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/day6_ficfest) collection. 



> much thanks to r for being the best beta a formless metaphysical being could ask for! any remaining mistakes belong to me~

When Younghyun enters his favorite café, it’s not hard for him to find Wonpil waiting for him at a table by the window, decked out in khakis and blue flannel. He’s already sipping on a mug of tea, and when the waitress comes around Younghyun orders his usual americano, settling into his seat with a sigh.

“First time out today?” Wonpil asks, and Younghyun nods, self consciously running a hand through his hair.

“That obvious?” he asks, and Wonpil giggles.

“Just a bit. You’ve been writing?”

“Like I have anything else to do on weekends,” Younghyun replies—Wonpil knows damn well that Younghyun doesn’t go out if he can avoid it. 

“What have you been working on lately?” Wonpil asks, eyebrows raising over the rim of his mug as he sips his tea.

Younghyun tries not to get too excited, but he loves talking about his projects. “It’s another romance novel,” he says, ignoring Wonpil’s knowing smile. “This time, the lead is a young guy who just moved to L.A. and is hoping to land any kind of acting job. His love interest is a guy around his age but who’s been acting since he was a kid, and eventually shows the lead that acting isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and they run away together.”

“Sounds angsty,” Wonpil comments, and Younghyun nods.

“When have my novels not been angsty?” he asks, and Wonpil lets out one of his trademark hiccuping laughs. 

“Hey, what happened to the last book you were working on?” Wonpil asks. “The one about the guy who has to take care of his mom and the family farm?”

“I finished it,” Younghyun says, and Wonpil’s eyes widen.

“You finished? Like edited and everything?”

Younghyung nods. “I had someone from work help me out with the beta reading, so it’s done.”

“So what now?” Wonpil asks. “Have you contacted an agent or an editor yet?”

Younghyun shakes his head. “I don’t want an agent, and I haven’t looked for an editor. I don’t have the time, Wonpil.”

“So you have the time to write the damn book but not get it published?”

Younghyun rolls his eyes. “The writing is the fun part, everything that comes after is not fun and I don’t have the time or energy to do anything not fun outside of work hours.”

“You also need a better job, but that’s a whole different problem I don’t think you’re ready to tackle yet.”

Here’s the problem: Younghyun majored in business, and earned his bachelor’s a year ago. Since then, he’s been bouncing from job to job as an office temp, trying to earn enough money to pay his rent and save up for graduate school. He supposes that that in itself really isn’t the problem though. The problem is that he sort of hates it. So he writes romance novels on the side, just to make life bearable. 

Wonpil caught wind of them when they reunited about six months ago, having gone to high school together but separated because Wonpil went to an arts college. Now he’s being groomed to take over his parent’s piano academy, and he has all the time in the world to bother Younghyun about turning his hobby into some sort of business venture. He also wants Younghyun to find a job he actually likes, even if it isn’t being an author, but Younghyun shuts him down everytime. Or tries to, at least. 

“My job is fine,” he counters, ignoring the look Wonpil gives him. 

“Okay, but back to my first point,” Wonpil replies. “May I remind you that I know an editor? I could put you guys in touch, see if it goes anywhere.”

“I don’t—”

“Have the time, I know, I know,” Wonpil says, clearly exasperated. “Please, just let me give you this guy’s card. You don’t have to call him, but just so you have it. In case you change your mind.”

“Fine,” Younghyun lets up, and Wonpil nearly squeals in delight. He starts to rummage through his wallet, pulling out frozen yogurt punch cards and coupons that have long expired.

“I know I have one in here somewhere,” he mutters, almost as if to himself. “The guy’s kind of a narcissistic ass, he makes me take them when I visit his office for coffee.”

“And you want me to call him?” Younghyun snorts.

“He’s actually sweet!” Wonpil defends. “Just incapable of showing it. But he really is a good guy, and he’s great at his job.”

“If you say so,” Younghyun shrugs. Even if the guy is a narcissistic ass, it’s not skin off Younghyun’s back. Not like he’s gonna call anyway.

Wonpil exclaims in joy when he finds it, promptly sliding the sleek red card across the table to Younghyun. “Here,” he says proudly. Before Younghyun has a chance to even look at it, Wonpil’s eyes dart to the clock. “Shit!” he exclaims, scrambling to grab his coffee and bag. “I have a student coming over in fifteen.”

Younghyun laughs, watching amusement and giving a lazy wave as Wonpil rushes out of the coffee shop with a half assed goodbye. Younghyun doesn’t mind—Wonpil’s never been the most astute, but he’s a good friend and Younghyun genuinely enjoys his company. 

Not wanting to let his friend down, Younghyun slides the card till it’s in front of him before he flips it over to read the name.

When he does, his blood goes hot with anger. It’s funny, he thinks, how after a year just the sight of the guy’s name can piss him off. Younghyun slams the card back down, and that’s when he knows: he definitely won’t call. 

He stews while he finishes his americano, thinking back to undergrad with a certain bitterness he’d tried to rid himself of after graduation. Now, it’s back in near full force, and Younghyun is almost surprised at his own ability to hold a grudge. He has so many questions for Wonpil, mostly about how he came to be under the impression that this asshole is a “good guy.”

Despite his anger, or perhaps because of it, when Younghyun goes to leave he can’t bring himself to leave the card behind on the table. He picks it up like it’s poison, taking one last look at the name written on the card.

_ Jaehyung Park, Editor _

_ Ugh,  _ Younghyun thinks, dropping the card into his wallet and pushing the door open with a little more force than necessary on his way out.

+

Younghyun’s undergrad years were less than great. Actually, that’s not quite true. They sucked. A lot. 

He supposes he can’t blame Jae for all of it—a good deal of it was his fault, his need to prove himself over and over even if no one’s watching. 

Anyway, it started like this: Younghyun and Jae, not roommates but neighbors. Younghyun was living with a grouchy music major named Jaebum, and it was great because they were both workaholics who wanted nothing more than to put headphones on and tune out the world. Enter Jae, and his roommates Matt and Sam, all noisy polsci or gov majors who like to play video games until four in the morning and make the hallway smell like weed. 

Younghyun and Jaebum put up with it because they have to, but they retaliate in the ways that they can; the same repetitive beat played aloud as Jaebum edits or Younghyun plugging in his bass past midnight on a Wednesday, when he knows Jae has a 7 a.m. shift at the coffee shop the next morning. 

It went like that, back and forth in a pissing contest of pissing each other off, until the start of spring semester when Younghyun walks into his macroeconomics class and sees Jae sprawled out in one of the desks near the back. Jae sees him too, sending Younghyun a wink, and that was the start of a whole new kind of pissing contest.

They competed on everything: answering questions in class, who could finish their pop quiz the fastest, who did better on the exam, who could get more compliments from the professor on their oral presentation. What got to Younghyun the most was how smug Jae was about it all, always acting like he was above Younghyun no matter if he won or lost. But he usually won. That also pissed Younghyun off.

Jaebum asked him all the time why he didn’t just report Jae for the weed, or drop the class or do literally anything that wasn’t turning what could be a perfectly normal bad neighbor situation into a rivalry. Younghyun had an easy answer for that: because then Jae would win. Every time, Jaebum would just roll his eyes and turn back to his laptop, leaving Younghyun to flounder under the weight of his own poor decisions. 

There was, admittedly, another thing. Younghyun doesn’t like to think about it even now, as it’s still a source of embarrassment, but perhaps at the root of his problems with Jae was the fact that he found Jae attractive. “Devastatingly handsome” were the words Jae used to describe himself, and while Younghyun laughed it off at the time, in retrospect the words ring true. Younghyun’s rivalry with Jae effectively devastated his ability to date or do anything other than think about how he was going to one up his enemy next. 

So, Younghyun thinks, there’s some bad blood there. Unfortunately, Wonpil doesn’t know that, as Younghyun had done his very best to forget about all of that as soon as he left college for the real world. Still, he can’t help but wonder about how they know each other, but he knows that if he asks then Wonpil will want to know if he called and he’ll either have to lie or tell him the whole truth about their history, neither of which sounds very appealing. 

Younghyun stews on it for as long as he can—that is to say, as long as Wonpil allows. This turns out to be shorter than Younghyun would have liked, as Wonpil calls him only a few days later.

The first thing he says when Younghyun picks up is, “Did you call yet?”

“What?” Younghyun replies, because playing dumb was the first evasion strategy that came to mind.

“My editor guy, did you call him?”

“Oh,” Younghyun replies. “No, not yet. I, uh, forgot.”

“Younghyun,” Wonpil starts, and Younghyun recognizes his chastising voice immediately. “He’s really good, which means he’s really busy. If you want him to look over your book any time soon, you need to call.”

“I will,” Younghyun says, wincing through the words. He’s just glad this is happening over the phone—Wonpil knows all his tells, can sniff out when Younghyun is lying before Younghyun is even finished saying it. At least his face is hidden now, and Younghyun hopes that the connection is poor enough that the guilt in his voice is disguised. 

Wonpil sighs. “Anyway, when you do call, tell me what he says. Maybe the three of us can go for coffee or lunch or something? I can introduce you guys properly.”

“Yeah, sure,” Younghyun says, alreading cringing at the thought of having to sit for lunch with Jae Park. He would literally rather die. “I’ll let you know.”

+

He does not, in fact, let Wonpil know, because he doesn’t call. He has to change up his evasion tactics, faking hectic projects at work or claiming he missed Wonpil’s texts and calls because he was asleep or talking to his mom. Wonpil doesn’t call him out on it, but Younghyun is sure he has to be getting the idea that something is up. Their friend group pokes fun at him for being kind of a ditz, but Wonpil isn’t  _ that _ oblivious. 

Unfortunately, Younghyun doesn’t find out exactly how much Wonpil knows until it’s too late. Wonpil had left him a message asking Younghyun out for an after work dinner, and Younghyun responded in the affirmative because, well. Not only is he a good friend, but he’s never one to turn down a good meal. 

When he gets to the restaurant, the hostess informs him that his party is already seated, and Younghyun finds it amusing that she refers to just one person as a “party.” Then she leads him back to their table where Wonpil is waiting, and when Younghyun rounds the corner he sees Jae Park’s perfectly smug face looking back at him.

_ Shit _ , he thinks. It’s an ambush. 

He tries to keep his face calm as he approaches, even when faced with Jae's smug expression. Wonpil smiles, boxy and familiar and completely, utterly oblivious to what's happening. Younghyun's place is set next to Wonpil with Jae across from them, and he resigns himself to a very uncomfortable half hour as he sits (because he figures he can get out of here in half an hour by faking an emergency—Younghyun is already formulating a plan).   
"So, Younghyun," Wonpil starts. "This is Jae, my editor friend! I managed to steal him out of the office a little early so we could all have dinner together."   
"Great," Younghyun says, lips pressing together. He looks to Jae—if he's anything like he used to be, then Jae is entirely unpredictable, and Younghyun has no idea if he's going to give them away or not.   
"Long time no see, Brian," Jae grins, lifting his water glass to his lips. Well, shit.   
"Yeah, it's been awhile," Younghyun nods, grimacing a little. "I go by Younghyun now."   
"Wait," Wonpil says, and When Younghyun looks over he sees that Wonpil's mouth is gaping. "You two know each other? Younghyun, you asshole, why didn't you say anything?" Wonpil smacks lightly at Younghyun's bicep for emphasis, and Younghyun is sort of glad because it gives him a little more time to think of a response.    
"I, uh," he stutters, and the amusement is clear on Jae's face as he watched Younghyun struggle. "I didn't want to make it awkward by telling you that I already knew him. And I didn't call because I didn't want to ask a favor of someone I sort of knew in undergrad. Just felt kind of gross."   
_ There _ , he thinks. That sounds like a reason a normal person would have.

“Sort of knew?” Jae says, cocking his head. Oh, Jesus. “Come on Bri Bri, I’d like to think we were friends.”

“Friends,” Younghyun repeats, the word sour on his tongue. “Sure. Friends.”

Wonpil is so clearly lost, but he does his best to redirect.

“Great!” he says, clapping his hands together in a way that reminds Younghyun a bit of a seal. “So this should be easy! Jae, Younghyun is my friend who I told you is an amazing author and he has a roughly edited manuscript with nowhere to go—”

“And I’d like to keep it that way,” Younghyun says. “Thank you, Jaehyung, for coming out to meet me but I really don't need to do anything with my book, so. I’m okay.” 

“Younghyun—” Wonpil starts, but Jae just leans back in his chair and holds up his palms.

“Hey, if it’s just because you don’t want to work with me, I can recommend you to someone else in my office.” Younghyun’s eyes narrow. “Buuut it would be your loss, because I’m the best.” And there it is. 

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” Jae continues, voice light and breezy and conveying to Younghyun that this is less of an offer and more of a challenge, “but if you come around, you have my number.”

With that he stands, brushing off the legs of his jeans. “Thanks for the invite, Pil, but I think I’m gonna head back to my office to get some work wrapped up. We still on for the weekend with Sungjin?”

Wonpil nods silently, and Jae smiles at both of them. “Well, it was good to see you Brian, and I hope you give me a call.”

Younghyun replies with a simple “have a good evening” before he watches Jae’s back disappear into the now crowded restaurant. As soon as Jae is out of sight, Wonpil’s slim fingers are wrapping around Younghyun’s arm.

Eyes wide and mouth open, he asks, “What the hell was that?”

Younghyun sighs. “It’s a long story.”

+

Younghyun gives him the short version over their dinner, because he was absolutely  _ not  _ about to leave and go eat microwaved pizza on his couch when he could stay and eat a decent meal, and Wonpil listens and nods along understandingly because he’s a good friend like that. 

By the time Younghyun’s done, Wonpil sits back, hands folded in his lap and mouth pursed in a way that makes his expression unreadable. Younghyun isn’t used to this—Wonpil is known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, so looking at his face and still not being able to tell what he’s thinking makes Younghyun uneasy. 

“So you had a rivalry in college,” he starts, and Younghyun braces himself for the worst. “So what? Younghyun, I know you and I know your writing, and I can say I know you deserve the best shot you can get at getting your work out there. Even if you hate him, Jae is your best shot. I know you have ideas about them but he really has matured, even if it doesn’t always seem like it.”

“Didn’t you refer to him as a ‘narcissistic ass’ the other day?” Younghyun asks, raising an eyebrow, and Wonpil rolls his eyes.

“Of course you would remember that. Listen, I didn’t say he was perfect, just that he’s a decent guy and great at his job. Come on Younghyun, give him a chance. Let him give your book a shot.” 

Wonpil’s eyes are wide and sad, and Younghyun thinks that he’ll never understand how Wonpil can manipulate people so easily.  _ Damn it _ .

“Fine,” Younghyun relents. “I’ll give him a call back. But if he keeps acting like an ass I reserve the right to shut this down.”

Wonpil practically squeals in delight, but stops short when he remembers something. “Wait. Younghyun, when you call you have to apologize for tonight.”

“Hey,” Younghyun replies. “That was not part of our deal. I don’t do apologies and especially not apologies to Jae Park.”

“Well it seems like you know him pretty well, and if you do then you know that he can be a real bitch about holding a grudge, and you gave him plenty of reason just now. I sort of doubt he’ll agree to help at all without some kind of apology,” Wonpil points out.

“He offered!” Younghyun protests, and Wonpil makes a face.

“Do you think that means anything to him?”

Younghyun sighs. Wonpil does actually have a point, and it just makes Younghyun more infuriated than before—Jae Park is exactly the kind of person who would offer conditional help like that. The thought of working with him makes Younghyun’s stomach turn, but there is the fact that he offered in the first place, and, well. Younghyun  _ does _ want his book published, even if it’s more of a dream in his head than a real, actual goal. It’s only natural to dream, he reasons, and he thinks he won’t be crushed if it doesn’t happen, but still. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want it. 

+

Even though he’d agreed to call, that doesn’t make doing it any easier. Younghyun stares at his phone for what feels like hours, fingers drumming on his countertop until he finally swallows down the disgusting feeling in his throat and presses call. 

“Jae Park,” Jae answers after only a few rings, tone clipped and even. 

“Hey, Jae? It’s uh, it’s Younghyun.” 

“Brian! Glad you called, you caught me at a good time.” Younghyun hears the creak of a chair even over the phone, and Jae sighs. “Ready to talk business?”

It sounds so gross when he says it that way that it makes Younghyun shudder. “Sure, but before that...there’s something I’d like to uh, tell you.”

Jae just hums, barely audible over the phone, and Younghyun takes a sharp breath in. “I’m sorry, for the other night. The dinner with Wonpil. I just—wasn’t expecting to see you, and it threw me off. But still, you know. Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Jae says, and Younghyun is honest to God shocked to his core. 

“You sure?” he asks, on impulse. 

Jae laughs, and it echoes over the line. “I’ve changed since college, Younghyun, and you’d better get used to it if we’re going to be working together.”

“Yeah, okay,” Younghyun says, but it isn’t sarcastic. His lips stretch into an involuntary smile at the sound of his name on Jae’s tongue—the syllables are slurred, familiar, and Younghyun likes it. Maybe this can work, he thinks. Maybe. 

They set up an appointment for Younghyun’s day off next week, and Younghyun is given strict instructions to email Jae a copy of his manuscript by tomorrow at the latest, so Jae has time to read it over and collect his thoughts. Younghyun agrees of course, but he can’t help but focus on the way his stomach turns at the thought of Jae reading his writing. He supposes that the whole point of a novel is to be read, but still. It’s a romance (as all his novels are), and knowing that Jae will be reading it feels just a bit too intimate for his comfort. 

Still, he sends the pdf to the email the receptionist gives him, a quick click without thinking too much about it. Then he’s off to bed, or more accurately, off to lie awake and stare at the ceiling thinking about everything that can and is going to go wrong next week.

+

Younghyun feels incredibly underdressed. He has the whole day off today, meaning that he showed up in a black hoodie and a green collared jacket, both comfortable and warm. When he gets to Jae’s office building, however, he realizes what a mistake that was. The lobby is spacious and bright, with huge windows and white marble floors that echo with the footsteps of high heels and loafers as well dressed office workers bustle about, everyone clearly moving with an agenda. Younghyun feels like he’s lost, drowning in this unfamiliar environment, and it takes a lot just for him to take a step forward and not turn around and get the hell out of there. 

Studio J Publishing is located on the sixth floor, and Younghyun tries his best to not feel awkward on the elevator ride up despite the fact that he can feel eyes on him. By the time he gets to the sixth floor, though, he’s alone in the elevator, which means he’s able to take a deep breath before he gets off and has to go face the wolves. Or rather wolf, singular. Wait, still no. A wolf is way too cool of an animal for Jae Park. But Younghyun digresses. 

The secretary is a pretty woman with short hair, seated behind a tall counter in front of big glass doors that mark the entrance to the office. Younghyun tells her that he has an appointment with Jae Park, and she sizes him up before directing him inside, down the hall and to the corner office on the left. 

There’s a little plaque on the door of Jae’s office designating him as “Jaehyung Park, Senior Editor,” and seeing the title sends a flash of jealousy through Younghyun’s chest. Still, he swallows his pride with a deep breath in and knocks, short and loud. Before he even has a chance to exhale he hears Jae’s voice from inside, beckoning him in.

The first thing he sees is that Jae is wearing pink. A real, honest to God pink dress shirt with a navy tie, knot tied neatly right at the base of his neck and drawing Younghyun’s attention to the smooth, pale skin there and the swell of his adam’s apple. For just a moment, Younghyun thinks that in an alternate universe, he would very much like to kiss that neck. 

The next thing that strikes him is how nice Jae’s office is. Till now he supposes he’d had enough information to assume, but actually seeing how important Jae is represented by his office is a whole nother thing entirely. It’s the corner office, spacious and full of light from huge windows that give a nice view of the city streets below. His desk is cluttered but still nice, made of smooth, polished dark wood that glows in the sun. There’s some frames on the wall closest to Younghyun—Jae’s diplomas, a photo of him and what must be his family on a ski trip, a class photo from when they graduated. Younghyun knows that if he looks closely enough he’ll be able to find himself, and he doesn’t know how he feels about that. 

“Hey.” Younghyun’s eyes snap from the wall back to Jae, who has since stood up and thus given Younghyun an even better view of his tapered waist and narrow hips in pretty navy slacks. 

“I’m glad you showed up,” Jae grins, extending a hand. Younghyun takes it tentatively, cocking an eyebrow.

“What does that mean?” he asks, and Jae shrugs.

“I just wasn’t sure you would, that’s all. You can have a seat,” he says gesturing to the chair on Younghyun’s side of the desk. They both sit, Younghyun leaning forward and folding his hands awkwardly in his lap until he remembers that he should maybe fix his posture for this quasi-professional situation. 

“I wasn’t sure I’d show up either,” Younghyun replies, a bit bitter at Jae’s insinuation despite the truth behind it. “But here I am.”

“Here you are,” Jae nods, still smiling. It’s driving Younghyun crazy. “So, should we get down to business then?”

Younghyun nods, and Jae’s cheeks puff up as he huffs a bit, shuffling through the pile of papers on his desk until he finds what he’s looking for. He pulls out a thick stack of papers held together by a black binder clip and slides it across the desk, and it takes Younghyun a moment to realize that it’s his manuscript. 

“So obviously I read your manuscript,” Jae starts, and Younghyun braces himself for the worst. “And it’s good. Surprisingly good, one could say. I mean, I wasn’t sure if Wonpil was overselling you but you are actually good.”

“Thanks?” Younghyun says, unsure as to whether or not he should take that as a compliment. Jae just nods, moving on as quickly as he’d begun.

“I do have some notes though. I wrote them in as I went along, but we could go over the big ones right now.”

“Sure,” Younghyun agrees, taking a moment to flip through the manuscript and scan for Jae’s notes. He certainly wasn’t lying—the margins are full of chicken scrawl in both pencil and pen, alternating, which tells Younghyun that Jae actually read his manuscript more than once. Again, he’s not sure how to feel about that. 

Jae gives him a run down that he calls “quick and dirty, much like my relationships in college.” Younghyun laughs, and Jae smiles, and the whole thing is much friendlier than Younghyun was anticipating. 

Then they get into the edits, and Younghyun starts feeling much less friendly again.

For someone who was such a mess when Younghyun first knew him, Jae is entirely too picky. He picks at the characters, and their design and motivations and even their speech patterns. He picks at the plot, urging Younghyun to “add a little more flavor,” whatever the hell that means. He picks at the dialogue, at the pacing, at literally everything in a manuscript it is possible to pick at. Younghyun nods along, because the scene he made at dinner was enough to teach him to keep his mouth shut, but in his head he’s cursing Jae out the entire time. All this, from someone who used to make his life terrible? It’s a joke. Younghyun’s life is a joke. 

When he leaves he tells Jae he’ll be in touch, though Younghyun has no intentions of abiding by his own word. He stews all the way home, hands clutching the steering wheel and slamming his door shut when he finally does reach his apartment. 

It’s childish—Younghyun knows this. If he was more of an adult, if he was a better person, if he didn’t hold a grudge against Jae for college, things could be different. But right now, it feels like the world is working against him, and it really doesn’t want his book to get published.

He could always find another editor. The thought crossed his mind on the drive home, but there’s a few problems. Jae agreed to do this as a favor to Wonpil, free of charge in exchange for something that Wonpil won’t name but becomes very defensive about so it must have been bad. And on top of that, he is good. There’s samples of his writing and editing online, and Younghyun’s read them all. To find someone as good or better on Younghyun’s budget as a temp sounds not only unlikely, but damn near impossible. 

Younghyun puts the annotated manuscript on his bedside table, and then flops face down, sighing into his pillow. He needs this partnership to work if he wants his writing to ever go anywhere, and it had been pleasant for at least the first few minutes. He just needs to work through it, he thinks. Accept the criticism for what it is and work towards having a publishable manuscript. 

Still, he doesn’t want to touch that book right now. Rolling over, he snags his laptop from where it rests beside his bed and props his back up with his pillow—writing will make him feel better than just stewing, even if it’s on a different idea entirely. 

In the scene he’d been working on last, his narrator—Romeo, Younghyun calls him, at least for now—has just met the man who is going to become his love interest. They’re at an audition for a small role, just a commercial for an airline company, and the two of them are sitting next to each other in the waiting area. The love interest, Jack, has just started up a conversation with Romeo after noticing the way his fingers drum nervously on the arm of his chair. 

Getting lost in the writing brings Younghyun peace. Everything’s easier when the problems aren’t his own, when his biggest worries are getting Romeo from point A to point B and figuring out just the right way to show how Jack falls for him. He ends the scene with Romeo getting called in to read, and Jack wishing him good luck with a rogue-ish smile. It’s not a lot of writing but it’s enough for now, and Younghyun sets his laptop aside again, adjusts his pillow, and promptly falls asleep.

+

One thing that Younghyun realizes he genuinely doesn’t know is how long the editing process is supposed to take. He’s not sure if there’s an unspoken timeline, if a week without contacting Jae about the edits is too long or too short. He figures that’s his excuse then, seeing as it’s not a lie. When Jae calls—if he calls—Younghyun will just say he went ghost because he wasn’t sure how long he was supposed to take. Or something like that.  

He gets moved to a new office just a week and a half after meeting with Jae, and then Younghyun’s life is even weirder than before. Being a temp is a job he generally enjoys, if only for the fact that it never gets monotonous because he’s rarely in the same place for more than a month, but sometimes he wishes he was doing something more consistent. This assignment has a bit of a longer commute than he would like despite still being in the city, and rather than having him cover just one position Younghyun’s sort of half covering for three people. He comes home exhausted with no time to even think about opening his manuscripts, just takes off his shoes and passes out almost immediately. He knows he goes a bit AWOL, so he isn’t surprised when he wakes up at 2 a.m. after passing out four hours earlier to see 8 missed calls and 20 texts from Wonpil. 

The gist of it is that Wonpil is worried about him, which doesn’t shock Younghyun in the slightest, though it does guilt him into shooting a quick apology text back before passing out again. When he wakes up again, this time for good, Wonpil’s invited him to meet for a late dinner after work and Younghyun has no choice but to say yes. Not that he’d ever say no to dinner anyways. 

Work drags on and Younghyun is happy to see Wonpil’s face waiting for him at the bar of the restaurant he’d chosen, martini already in hand as he waves Younghyun down. There was no time to change, so Younghyun justs untucks his shirt and loosens the knot on his tie as he sits down, immediately ordering a beer to help wash down the stress of his current job assignment.

“Bad, huh?” Wonpil asks, and Younghyun nods grimly.

“Just gotta make it till I get reassigned,” he says, smiling easily at the bartender in thanks when his drink is slid across the counter. “And pray that my next assignment is less of a shit hole and can afford to hire enough people for the work they need done.”

Wonpil nods empathetically. “Not much time to write with this one then, I suppose.”

Younghyun shakes his head. “None at all. I go to work, come home, eat and pass out. Which sucks because I feel like I was finally getting somewhere on my latest novel.”

Wonpil hums. “Have you had a chance to look back at ‘Goodbye Winter’ yet?”

For a second Younghyun is confused, and then he remembers the working title he’d given his manuscript when he submitted it to Jae. He scowls. “No. Is that what this dinner is about?”

“It’s not  _ about _ anything,” Wonpil rushes to correct, “I just wanted to see how you were doing and that’s something I’m curious about.”

“Or you’re spying for Jae,” Younghyun says, raising an eyebrow. 

Wonpil gasps in fake indignation until Younghyun’s expression makes it clear that he’s been found out. “Okay fine, he asked me to check in because he hadn’t heard from you. No rush or anything, just wanted to see how things were going.”

“He’s a grown man he can ask me himself,” Younghyun retorts, and Wonpil sighs.

“Both of us thought you’d respond better if it was me asking, though now I think you probably would have been like this no matter what.”

“Bingo,” Younghyun grins. 

“Seriously, Younghyun,” Wonpil says, and Younghyun sighs. “Did you meet with him just to appease me or are you actually gonna do something with his notes?”

“I don’t know,” Younghyun says, shaking his head. “I really—I don’t know. I was thinking about it but he made notes on a lot of things, Pil, I don’t know how much I can bring myself to change.”

Wonpil nods. “Okay,” he says, and then he goes quiet.

“What, that’s it?” Younghyun asks, leaning back in his barstool. “That’s all you’ve got for me? Nothing about how I’m wasting my time and potential by not getting published?”

Wonpil shrugs. “We were just curious, that’s all.”

“Oh,” Younghyun replies, taking a sip of his beer to mask his embarrassment at the slight overreaction. “Well, how are things going for you? We haven’t talked about you in awhile.”

Wonpil perks up. “Things are good! Sungjin just got a promotion, so we’ve upgraded to bi-weekly date nights now. He still won’t agree to certain date ideas but I’m trying to work him up to it.”

Listening to Wonpil chatter about his relationship is relaxing to Younghyun, so he just sits back and enjoys Wonpil’s voice and lyrical manner of speaking washing over his ears. Thankfully, he manages to do that for the rest of the evening, because Wonpil seems to understand that Younghyun really doesn’t want to talk about himself and his problems any longer, which Younghyun appreciates more than he can say. 

Wonpil doesn’t bug him about the manuscript again, and Younghyun hugs him goodbye when he goes to leave—it’s a good night

+

Younghyun doesn’t touch his documents again until he’s reassigned. Thankfully, his hell of a contract was only for six weeks, and the next place he’s at is fairly slow, just data analysis for a third party contracting company. He has his own cubicle and it’s close to the coffee maker  _ and _ the bathroom—really, Younghyun couldn’t have asked for a better workplace. Needless to say, he now has much more time for both writing and editing, even occasionally working on his own projects while still on the clock. 

Editing ‘Goodbye Winter’ feels like he’s doing something terrible, so the process is painstakingly slow. Every time he reads a note of Jae’s that he doesn’t necessarily agree with Younghyun gets angry all over again, and has to step back and reassess why exactly Jae would have written that before he can figure out what he’s going to do to fix the problem. Most of the time it’s much easier to work on his new novel, so that’s what he does instead. 

There’s a scene he’s particularly fond of, in which Romeo and Jack are sitting on a boardwalk watching the sun go down as the wind whips sand into stinging their bare legs. Younghyun likes coming back to this scene, tweaking it so the details are just right, letting himself fall into it and feel like he’s the one that’s there instead of his characters. Maybe it’s because he hasn’t been to the beach in a while—a born and bred Toronto native, he’s more used to the water when it’s surrounded by construction and an overcast sky, not white sand and sunshine. He remembers fleetingly that Jae is from California, was supposed to go to UCLA Long Beach before he switched to UofT to get away from his family—Younghyun pushes the thought away. There’s no need for him to be thinking about Jae’s personal life when he’s writing about his characters, absolutely none at all. 

He brings himself back to Romeo and Jack, letting himself fall into their world if only just for a little while.

+

E-mail is a very professional way of communication, which is why Younghyun is surprised when he receives an email from Jae a few days after his last meet up with Wonpil. With the irony of it all, Younghyun just figured Jae would get his number from Wonpil and shoot him a text, but Jae seems to be doing things by the book. Huh, Younghyun thinks. That’s new. 

It’s short, sweet, to the point:

_ Hey Younghyun, _

_ Just checking in to see how things are going. I was hoping we could schedule another meeting for sometime in the next few weeks to go over any changes you’ve made and then start talking about the potential for advancement in the publishing process. _

_ Let me know, _

_ Jaehyung Park _

_ Senior Editor  _

_ Studio J Publishing House _

Younghyun reads the few lines of text over and over again, trying to wrap his mind around the concepts of working with Jae long term to get published and Jae thinking that his book is good enough to actually get published. Both are sort of mind blowing to him.

Before he can stop himself, Younghyun’s mind runs wild with the possibilities. The idea of having his book, printed and bound in his hands—it’s something he didn’t think he’d ever get to feel, and now it seems like it could happen. Younghyun doesn’t know how to process this. 

Thinking about it now, working with Jae doesn’t seem half as bad as before. It’s still awkward, sure, and Younghyun has to get over himself so he can take some criticism from someone who is admittedly an expert, but he can do it. Even if said expert used to be insufferable. And is now admittedly very successful and attractive. Younghyun  _ really _ shouldn’t think about that. 

He drafts an email in response, changing the wording over and over and stressing over punctuation because an exclamation mark sounds too excited but a period is too cold. Finally, eventually, it reads

_ Jae, _

_ I’d love to get together again. Do you have any time available next Tuesday? I can have an edited draft by then, and we can go from there. _

_ Let me know, _

_ Younghyun Kang _

It’s not until after he sends it that he realizes Jae had actually, for once, called him Younghyun.

+

Jae replies quickly, and they set up their meeting, which is initially very exciting before Younghyun realizes he actually has to make his edits in order to have a draft significantly different than the first one by two p.m. on Tuesday. 

He goes into what Dowoon calls “full hermit mode”, spending every minute not at work either eating, sleeping, or editing. He’s taken to rewriting entire portions in three separate documents, comparing them side by side, and then writing a fourth because none of the first three turned out  _ exactly  _ how he wants them to. He considers changing the name of the most important secondary character at least five times, before finally deciding to just leave it as is. As it stands, Younghyun is going a little crazy, but he justifies it all in the name of the process. And the art, or whatever. 

The important thing is that he’s done on time, staring in awe at his document late Sunday night as it hits him that despite his initial irritation at the way Jae had picked apart the first draft, this draft is significantly better. It makes sense, all things considered, but to know it and to see it are two very different things. 

He prints a copy of this manuscript, clipping it together and shoving it in his bag a day early so he has no reason to forget it. Though Younghyun would have never expected to feel this kind of anticipation, it’s like Tuesday can’t come soon enough.

+

“I’m a genius,” Jae announces after he’s finished flipping through the new draft, paying special attention to the notes and highlights Younghyun had left to point out all the changes. 

“ _ You’re _ the genius?” Younghyun asks, eyebrows raised. Jae’s not wrong, per say, but Younghyun sure as hell isn’t gonna let him say it. “I wrote the damn thing.”

“But  _ I  _ have pioneered the perfection of it. Look at how good my advice was!” Jae grins, letting the manuscript fall with a satisfying sound. “If you insist, I admit that we make a kind of genius team.”

“Somehow, you saying that is worse than when it was just you,” Younghyun comments, enjoying the face that Jae makes in lieu of a verbal protest.

“In all seriousness,” Jae says, switching to a very professional air quicker than Younghyun would have thought possible. “This is really good. The edits you made helped a lot, I feel like the flow and pacing has already improved and so have your characters. I like, actually care about them now.”

“Thanks,” Younghyun replies, only somewhat sarcastically. 

“You’re welcome,” Jae answers, a cheeky kind of smirk on his face for just a second before he looks back to the stack of paper in front of him. Even that second is enough for Younghyun to have another unwelcome, fleeting thought about how electrifying he finds Jae’s confidence, even when it borders on grating. 

“So, should we talk business?” Jae asks, and Younghyun raises his eyebrows.

“I thought we were already,” he says, and Jae shakes his head.

“No, that was the fun part. The business part is the part that kind of sucks, but has to be done if you want to get published.”

Younghyun sighs. “Let’s talk business then.”

Jae nods. “Here’s the thing,” he starts, and Younghyun braces himself for the worst. “I like your book. I think it’s good, it’s a refreshing take on a sort of traditional romance narrative, and I think it can do well with general audiences even as an LGBT book. But if you want this to go anywhere then I need to make sure you’re aware of what the rest of the process is like.”

“Oh,” Younghyun says. That wasn’t bad at all. “Sure, what can you tell me?”

“If you agree, I’ll send this draft up to my superior tonight. She may have some other edits she’d like you to make—but probably not, because I’m good at my job—and then she decides if it gets sent to sales. If sales thinks it’ll do well, it goes into acquisitions, and if they agree that it’s a good fit then I can offer you a deal.”

Younghyun lets out a low whistle. “That’s a lot of steps.”

“It is,” Jae agrees, “which is why I need to ask you if you’re in. I know the first time we talked about it you didn’t want to go through the process, so I need to know where you stand now and if I should be advocating for you.”

Younghyun considers it for a moment. It sounds intimidating, to put it simply, and getting published isn't something he really considered pursuing, but. But. He's got this image, a nagging fantasy of seeing his name on the spine of a book, of running his fingers over cool, textured pages printed with the names and stories of the characters that he'd brought to life. When his manuscript was just an untouched file in his computer that dream seemed so far away but now it feels as if Younghyun is almost there, and well. He can't give that up.

"I'm in," he answers, making eye contact with Jae. "I know I was hesitant before, but I'm in. If you believe in this book then I believe in it too."

Jae grins, all stretched lips and sharp canines and crinkled eyes. "Great," he says, "I will send this on tonight and keep you updated on where everything goes."

"Can you text me?' Younghyun blurts, realizing only after the fact how it might sound. "I didn't—I just mean that it's hard to separate out emails because of work, so if you text me I'll see it sooner. If you're okay with that, of course."

"No problem." Jae smiles, and Younghyun quickly unlocks his phone and hands it over.

Jae snorts, and Younghyun's heart skips. "Nice background," he comments, and Younghyun's cheeks flood with color when he remembers his current home screen is a particularly ugly selfie he'd taken with Wonpil after a few too many drinks.

"Thanks," he replies, trying to keep his cool, and Jae quickly hands the phone back. Messages is still pulled up, and Younghyun makes a face when he sees that Jae had sent himself an assortment of emojis in order to get Younghyun's number in his phone.

"The eggplant, really?" he asks, and Jae grins at him from across the desk.

"I'm an eggplant kind of guy," he says, and Younghyun sputters at him, watching in defeat as Jae's grin grows wider. God damn it.

When Younghyun gets home, he can’t stop himself from opening the conversation again just to see the little purple emoji staring at him. It shouldn’t mean something but somehow it does, and that’s what scares him the most.

+

Younghyun shouldn’t have been scared of the emoji. What he should have been scared of is Jae having his number because now that he does he  _ texts  _ Younghyun. Sometimes its work stuff, updates on the progression of Younghyun’s manuscript in this part of the process despite how slow things move, but other times Jae just sends Younghyun writing related memes at two o’clock in the morning. They’re fun memes, and Younghyun always replies, but he finds himself feeling concerned as to how little Jae sleeps. Somehow he resists the urge to nag, but the fact that he  _ has  _ the urge to nag in the first place is what irks him. 

Lately, Younghyun’s been thinking a lot about college. When he tries to remember, he knows that he used to hate Jae, but it’s become harder and harder to remember exactly why beyond the sheer pettiness of their rivalry. And Jae, honest to God, makes Younghyun smile, even if he is still a bit insufferable. All in all, Younghyun supposes he just isn’t sure what he feels about Jae, or if they even count as friends or not. He thinks he’d like them to be friends, though. Of course, that would require actually hanging out with Jae, which is facilitated through Wonpil quickly enough. 

Younghyun loves having dinner plans, but what makes him even more excited is when they make plans to actually  _ do  _ something. This time it’s beer and billiards after work, and Wonpil has gone through the trouble of inviting Sungjin and  Dowoon as well as Jae. Younghyun initially protested when Wonpil told him out of fear, but he was quickly silenced with a promise for Wonpil to cover his share of the table charge as long as he played nice with Jae for the evening. Younghyun doesn’t think Wonpil is fully aware of the convoluted mess that is Younghyun’s feelings for Jae, but he certainly won’t turn down a chance to have fun and save some money. 

So, Younghyun dresses up a little and attempts to leave his apartment early, but the traffic is worse than he expects and he sends Wonpil a text warning him that he’s running late, to which he receives no response.

When Younghyun finally makes it to the bar, he scans the crowd for Wonpil as he usually does but unlike usual, he comes up empty. He’s still looking when he catches a hand waving him down, and realizes that Jae is here, and has already claimed a table for them. 

Younghyun reluctantly makes his way over, already feeling awkward at the prospect of being alone with Jae in a non-professional setting.

“Hey,” Jae greets him, and Younghyun replies with a curt nod.

“Anyone else here yet?” he asks, and Jae shakes his head.

“Dowoon can’t make it because of a school thing, and I haven’t heard from Wonpil or Sungjin yet.”

Younghyun hums, awkwardly drumming his fingers on the rough textile surface of the table, eventually tracing the patterns of haphazard scratches in the surrounding wood. Jae looks like he wants to speak, but is holding himself back, and finally Younghyun accepts that it’s his turn to say something.

“How’ve you been?” he asks, looking up from the table as he attempts to gently broach the topic of work without having the focus on him.

“Good,” Jae answers with a shrug. “Busy. Lots of manuscripts getting pushed through right now along with yours.”

Younghyun hums, nodding along. Jae opens his mouth again, probably to ask Younghyun the same questions, but then his phone rings and excuses himself, stepping away from the table to take the call while Younghyun breathes a near-silent sigh of relief. 

He keeps an eye on Jae, watching as he seems to bicker a little with whoever it is on the other end of the line, eventually sighing before hanging up. He grimaces a little when he turns back towards Younghyun, and Younghyun braces for the worst.

“Wonpil and Sungjin aren’t coming,” Jae says. “Something about both of them being sick? I’m not sure, Wonpil just sounded really disgusting.”

“So it’s just us,” Younghyun says, considering the weight of the words as he says them. Briefly, he thinks about fleeing before an incredible sense of guilt washes over him. 

“If you wanna rain check, that’s okay,” Jae offers, like he can read Younghyun’s mind. “Maybe just get a drink instead? Or just go home. Whatever works.”

Younghyun considers it, but then quickly shakes his head as he makes up his mind. “I’d like to still play if you’re up for it.”

Jae grins.  “Well since the others cancelled, I can’t pass up the opportunity to see what you can do.” 

Younghyun laughs at that, already feeling much more comfortable. “You sure you’ll be alright without someone to back you up? I’m not sure you’re ready to lose like that.”

“Ouch Kang, so harsh,” Jae replies, still smiling as he presses a hand to his chest in mock offense. “But okay, I see how it is. I see what kind of game you play.”

“And what kind of game is that?” Younghyun asks, eyebrow arched as he reaches beneath the table for the cue chalk. 

“Hard ball.” Jae grins at his own joke, and Younghyun barks out a laugh.

“You think you’re so funny,” he teases.

“I  _ am  _ funny,” Jae corrects. “You want me to rack?”

“If you can,” Younghyun replies easily.

Jae’s hands move faster than Younghyun expects, alternating solids and stripes with a practiced ease. His fingers are pale and pretty as they skim over the balls, adjusting them until he’s satisfied.

“Flip for the first shot?” he asks when he’s done, and Younghyun nods.

“You call it,” he says, and Jae hums as he pulls out a coin from his pocket.

“Heads,” he says, and Younghyun snorts.

“As expected,” he replies, and Jae makes a face at him before he flips the coin, catching it neatly in his palm and flipping it onto the back of his other hand.

He sucks in a breath of disappointment. “Tails. Your shot.”

“That’s what you get for picking heads,” Younghyun says, moving to line up his cue for the shot. From the other side of the table, Jae sticks his tongue out. 

The first shot is the easiest, and Younghyun’s hands are steady when he neatly separates the racked balls. He gets a solid into one of the corner pockets, and then the colors are set. 

“You have good luck,” Jae comments, and Younghyun grins.

“Or I’m just that good,” he says. Jae has no response for that, just rolls his eyes and gestures for Younghyun to take his next shot. 

Younghyun gets another ball in before he misses the third shot entirely, and then it’s Jae’s turn. Jae stretches halfway across the table for a good angle, and his untucked pale blue dress shirt rides up just enough to expose a strip of his pale, mole spotted waist. It feels like an intrusion, but Younghyun can’t tear his away until Jae straightens, turning to Younghyun with a clearly satisfied look on his face. That’s when Younghyun realizes that he must have gotten a ball in. The fact that he missed it because he was too busy checking Jae out does not bode well for Younghyun. 

Jae does better than Younghyun, making two more balls in before he scratches, the cue ball falling into the middle pocket right after a striped ball. Still, he looks all too satisfied with himself, and it’s Younghyun’s goal to knock the smirk off his face sooner rather than later.

“Steady hands,” Jae reminds him, and Younghyun knows he’s just doing it to psych him out. Then, he goes and puts his hand in the pocket Younghyun is aiming for.

“Shoot for my hand,” he says, and Younghyun, having already been bent over the table, straightens and shakes his head.

“You’re playing dirty, Jae Park,” he says, and Jae looks genuinely shocked.

“I’m just trying to help,” he grins, fingers drumming against the leather edge of the table. “I’m giving you a better target.”

“I won’t shoot as well if I’m afraid to hit your hand,” Younghyun says, and Jae’s grin widens.

“And why would you be afraid to hit my hand?” he teases, and Younghyun considers whether or not he should flirt back—assuming that’s what Jae’s doing, flirting.

He goes for it. “They’re nice hands,” he shrugs, “wouldn’t want to damage them. Hard to find, nice hands.”

Jae’s eyes narrow, but he takes his hand out of the pocket. “Well played, Kang,” he says, and Younghyun smiles before he takes the shot. He sinks the ball, and Jae makes a show of looking disappointed. 

They’re a pretty evenly matched pair—Jae wins just as often as Younghyun does, despite Jae not being quite as good at controlling the strength of his shots. Jae has a real talent for long shots, getting a ball in from all the way across the table without scratching, and that’s something Younghyun can admire. There are a lot of other things Younghyun can admire too, namely the shape of Jae’s hips when he perches on the edge of the table to make a shot, or the way his long, slender fingers wrap around the dark, polished wood of the cue—but that’s neither here nor there. 

They drink while they play, which presents another problem for Younghyun. Jae looks  _ pretty _ when he drinks, long neck and adam's apple shown off when he tips his head back to take a swig from his beer. As the night goes on his cheeks flush and his eyes get a sort of sparkle to them that makes it even harder for Younghyun to look away—not that he’d want to in the first place. His laugh gets louder, and he gets  _ closer _ , crowding into Younghyun’s space with all of his long limbs and radiating warmth. Younghyun doesn’t mind at all. 

Eventually, Jae’s got an arm thrown around Younghyun’s shoulders and his head resting heavy in the crook of Younghyun’s neck. Younghyun tried to shrug him off to take his shot, but Jae refuses to budge.

“Get off,” he whines, and Jae shakes his head, nose and lips rubbing against Younghyun’s pulse.

“No can do,” he replies. “You’re too comfy.”

Younghyun loops an arm around Jae’s waist, intending to poke him to urge him off, but instead he finds his hand stilling when it finds the curve, fingers splaying flat against Jae’s side. It’s a comforting feeling, to hold someone, and Younghyun finds himself wondering for a moment if the warmth he feels is because he’s holding someone or because he’s holding Jae. 

Finally, he brings himself to squeeze at Jae’s waist, and Jae relents, pulling off and standing up straight.

Younghyun can’t stop thinking about that moment for the rest of the night.

By the time they’re done, Younghyun’s won more games and he’s slightly more sober, meaning that he’s the one who has to make sure Jae makes it safely into a cab. Jae’s laughing when they wave goodbye, telling Younghyun to call him so they can do this again. Younghyun just smiles as he shuts the door, watching the cab drive off into the cold night air with his hands shoved into his pockets.

Younghyun decides to skip the cab fare and just walk to his apartment, thanking the cosmos for placing it only a few blocks from the bar. He would be cold, but he thinks he can feel the residual warmth of Jae’s body on his skin. Or maybe that’s just the residual alcohol. Younghyun’s not really sure of anything anymore. 

+

The next day is Saturday, which means that Younghyun doesn’t wake up until his phone rings and the vibration sends it tumbling off his bedside table and onto the floor. He blindly searches the floor with his hand until he can grab it, collapsing back onto his pillow as he clicks answer without even seeing the caller ID.

“Good morning sunshine,” Wonpil coos, sweetness not dulled in the slightest by the poor connection. “How was your evening?”

“You,” is all Younghyun can think to say, voice coming out low and hoarse. 

“Me,” Wonpil replies. “Is this your attempt to say thank you? Because it’s pretty pathetic.”

“What would I be thanking you for?” Younghyun asks, attempting to disguise the annoyance in his voice. He’s aware that it doesn’t really work. 

“For last night?” Wonpil replies, sounding just a bit incredulous. “You’re telling me you didn’t have a good time with Jae?”

“No, I—wait,” Younghyun stops, squeezing his eyes shut as he tries to process this despite the fact that he just woke up. “That—you did that on purpose?”

“‘Yeah, sorry, we’re just both really sick,’” Wonpil starts, voice immediately becoming pathetic and stuffy. Then, normally, “Yes, you idiot. I scammed you into having a great time with Jae. This is the part where you’re supposed to thank me.”

Younghyun pushes himself up into a sitting position, blanket pooling around his bare waist. “People think you’re so sweet, but they have no idea you’re actually a snake,” he says, and Wonpil laughs way too loud for this time in the morning. It’s actually almost 1 p.m. when Younghyun looks over at the clock, but he just woke up which means it’s morning in his heart. “What if it actually went horribly and now I hate Jae more than ever before?” he asks, and Wonpil laughs again. 

“Well, if you said that I know it’d be a lie, because I got a glowing review of the night from a very drunk someone. He sang your praises, Younghyun, you can’t tell me it didn’t go well.”

“Jae called you? To talk about me?” Younghyun lets his guard down, all traces of annoyance vanishing immediately. 

“Mhm,” Wonpil hums affirmatively. “And he only had good things to say. I can only assume it’s mutual, which is why you should be thanking me right about now.”

“Still not gonna thank you,” Younghyun says, and Wonpil heaves a dramatic sigh. “But. You’re right. It was...really nice.”

Wonpil makes a noise of annoyance. “Really, Younghyun, must you make this as unfulfilling for me as possible?”

“Yes,” Younghyun answers petulantly, and that makes Wonpil laugh again. 

"I'll take what I can get," Wonpil says finally, and Younghyun hums in response.

"Smart choice," he agrees. He quickly changes the subject after that, eager to move on from the topic before Wonpil digs any deeper. “You have any plans for the day?”

“Other than bugging you? No,” Wonpil answers, and Younghyun sighs. 

“Well you know how much I love talking to you Pil, but I gotta get up and go to the bathroom or I think I might die. Thanks for the call, I’ll text you later,” Younghyun says, and Wonpil lets him hang up without too much of a fuss. 

Younghyun flops back down onto his pillow, letting his phone fall beside him as he drags a hand down his face. Why does the knowledge that Jae had a good time last night leave him with a tight feeling in his chest? Younghyun’s too old for this. 

He really does get up, because what he said to Wonpil wasn’t exactly a lie, but the whole time he’s in the shower and getting ready for an afternoon of writing, the only thing he can think about is Jae. To Younghyun, that’s kind of terrifying. 

+

Romeo and Jack are in the midst of falling in love, which is always Younghyun’s favorite part to write. Jack is sure of his feelings while Romeo doesn’t quite know it yet, but they’re spending more time together as Romeo fails to get part after part. Jack lands some, but he hides them from Romeo so as to not rub his career in Romeo’s face. It’s sweet in a sad way, which is just the way that Younghyun likes it. 

He manages to get out three more pages before he has to stop to make food, which just ends up being reheated noodles, and then he goes right back to writing. His mind wanders though, and Younghyun finds himself tempted to pull up the Goodbye Winter manuscript just to look at it, to read it over just one more time while he waits to hear from Jae about what the other editors think. He resists, pushing through as he wraps up the chapter he’s on in Man in a Movie, ending with a scene where Jack has to turn down meeting up with Romeo, using a shitty excuse to avoid telling Romeo that he’s actually going to film for a TV pilot. 

When that’s done, he checks his email, expecting it to be inundated with messages from his colleagues about the important project that was the reason for him being brought on in the first place. His expectations are certainly met, but as he’s scrolling through he gets a text.

_ Jae: _

_ check ur email!!!! _

Younghyun obliges because, well, he was doing it anyway, and he swears his heart skips when he sees an email from Jae sitting buried in his inbox, the subject line an all caps key smash and the only content an attached pdf. 

The document itself is a letter addressed to Jae, with highlights Younghyun can only assume were made by Jae himself. The entire thing talks about a batch of manuscripts and Younghyun is momentarily reminded that his book isn’t the only one Jae has to try and get published, but his ego is boosted again when he sees the words emphasized in bright yellow: “Of particular interest is ‘Goodbye Winter.’ It seems like a great fit, and sales is already taking a look at it. Good find!”

A good find. His book is a good find. Younghyun rereads the words over and over, and then it feels like his fingers move of their own accord, back to messages and then to Jae’s contact card. He stares at the number there—he’s called the office sure, and been redirected, but he’s never called Jae directly. Younghyun bites his lip and presses call.

Jae picks up after only two rings. “Did you see it?” he asks, near breathless. Younghyun has an image of Jae bounding across his apartment to reach his phone because he was waiting for Younghyun to call, and for once he’s glad he can’t see Jae so that the idea isn’t ruined by reality.

“Good find!” Younghyun repeats into the phone, doing his best to imitate what he imagines a senior editor would sound like. It seems to work well enough, because Jae laughs.

“I know right? I’d feel bad taking the credit since technically Wonpil put us in touch, but since it was my genius editing that got us this far I won’t lose any sleep over it,” he jokes, and Younghyun heaves an over dramatic sigh. 

“Of course, it was all you,” he replies sarcastically. Then, normally, “this is incredible news though. What happens next?”

“More waiting,” Jae answers. “But seriously man, if my boss didn’t have any real critiques to make, then I don’t think we should be too worried.”

“Well if it’s not too early then maybe we should celebrate? Just a little something to commemorate getting this far,” Younghyun suggests before he even realizes what he’s implying. All the time he’s spent with Jae so far has either been in a work setting or facilitated/in the company of Wonpil, so while he’s thinking about how much he enjoyed spending time with Jae the night before, Younghyun recognizes that it’s at least uncharacteristic of him to imply they should hang out just the two of them, if not downright weird.

Jae doesn’t seem to mind, though. “I’d say dinner and pool, but that may still be a little premature. How about coffee or a drink instead?”

“A drink sounds good,” Younghyun agrees, the feeling of anticipation settling in his chest. He’s a bit giddy at the idea, and glad that Jae doesn’t seem phased at all by Younghyun asking in the first place. Not that he needs confirmation that Jae enjoys his company (thanks to Wonpil), but it is still nice to hear. 

They set a day and time to meet at the same bar they went to for pool, and by the time he forces himself to hang up so it won’t be weird, Younghyun finds himself wishing that the week would just fly by. Or better yet, he wishes for an excuse to call Jae back, just to hear his voice and bright, tinny laughter over the phone. 

Younghyun is so fucked.

+

When Younghyun gets there, Jae is waiting outside. He felt stupid all the way here, worried about what Jae would think of his outfit, but now with Jae in front of him that all flies right out of his brain. All he can think about is how handsome Jae looks leaning against the red brick, long legs hugged by black jeans and the deep v of his button up showing off pretty, pale collarbones. 

“Hey,” Jae says, perking up when he sees Younghyun approach. “You look good for a writer.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Younghyun replies, nose scrunching as he steps up on the curb so they’re just a foot apart. 

Jae shrugs, grinning. “Most of the writers I know end up looking like a mess when I see them, but you dress up real pretty Kang.”

“Like you didn’t know that already,” Younghyun snorts. “I outdressed you every day of undergrad. Don’t think I forgot your classic outfits of basketball shorts, muscle shirts, and socks with slippers.”

“Ouch,” Jae replies, but he’s still good natured about it. “Way to turn a compliment around.”

Younghyun just smiles at him, and Jae cocks his head to the side a bit.

“Should we go in?” he asks, and Younghyun nods. “After you, then.” Jae holds the door open, and Younghyun feels like he’s being wooed. 

Younghyun orders an appetizer because he can’t survive without something to munch on, and Jae happily steals some of his chili cheese fries to go with his craft beer that Younghyun promptly made fun of as soon as Jae ordered it. 

“You know,” Jae says as he munches on his stolen snack, “sometimes I forget that we knew each other in undergrad.”

“Geez, way to make a guy feel special,” Younghyun snorts, and Jae is quick to continue.

“Not in a bad way!” He insists. “It’s just that we’re so different now, you know? Like we kind of have our shit together and aren’t full of hormones and the remnants of adolescent rage. We’re actual real live people now.”

“Actual real live people,” Younghyun repeats with a smile. “Yeah,  guess you could say that. Although I have to say that we’re pretty far apart on the ‘has their life together’ spectrum.”

“Pish posh,” Jae says, and Younghyun has to laugh at the phrase. “You’re an author, man! And you work an office job! That’s way better than most people out there. Better than me, too.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Younghyun asks incredulously, laughing until he realizes that Jae is serious. “Dude. You’re insanely good at your job, you’re like the youngest person to ever hold your job title. Do you know how cool that is?”

Jae shrugs, looking sheepish. “I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but I just find myself thinking about how much more I could be doing. I used to be so creative when it came to music and lyrics and now all I do is tweak other people’s creations. I make other people’s dreams come true instead of my own.”

Younghyun leans back in the booth they’re sitting in. “Whoah,” he says. “That’s kind of intense.”

Jae laughs awkwardly. “Yeah, maybe a bit much for the atmosphere. Change of subject?”

Younghyun sets his mouth, shrugging. “Only if you want. A little bit of intensity won’t scare me off.”

The grin Jae gives him in response is nothing short of wicked. “I expect nothing less from you, Brian Kang.”

“I have something for you then,” Younghyun says, raising his glass for the sheer drama of it. “I hate my job. I hate being an office worker because it’s boring, I hate being a temp because I’m never placed anywhere long enough to make friends, and I hate having to do anything that isn’t writing.” He pauses to take a drink. “You still think I have my life together?”

“Yeah,” Jae answers easily, like it’s the simplest question in the world. “I do. Knowing what you don’t want to do with your life is just as important as knowing what you do want to do.”

“What a positive spin,” Younghyun comments, maybe a bit mockingly, but Jae doesn’t seem to mind. He just shrugs, a small smile lingering on his lips as he takes another sip of his beer. 

“I try,” he replies. “But seriously, man. I don’t wanna get ahead of myself but your book? Is actually kind of amazing.”

“Only kind of?” Younghyun asks, and Jae knows he’s teasing because he rolls his eyes.

“Once it makes it through and gets published, it’ll do well, and when it does well we can work out a deal for another one or two books, and then you can quit being a temp and just write full time and everything will work out,” he continues.

“What makes you so sure?’ Younghyun asks, continuing to probe though he knows Jae has no malice in his ideas of grandeur.

“Because I’m always right,” Jae answers, and Younghyun laughs. 

“You know, you really haven’t changed that much at all,” he says, and Jae’s face softens. He looks like he’s about to say something but stops himself, catching his lower lip between his teeth. Younghyun wants to press him on it, but then the waiter comes to see if they want more to drink and their attention is diverted. 

The conversation topics for the remainder of the night vary, ranging from Jae’s distaste for superhero movies to Younghyun’s weird obsession with Radiohead, and by the end of it Younghyun thinks he might know Jae better than most other people in his life. It’s weird to think about, especially considering his feelings for the man just a few years ago, but he figures that it’s not so crazy considering all the growing up they’ve had to do in the meantime. 

By the end of the night, Jae is significantly drunker than Younghyun, to the surprise of absolutely no one. He’s clingy just like he was during billiards, but this time Younghyun had the ability to anticipate it, so he thinks he enjoys the skinship even more. They make their way out of the bar with Jae’s arm slung around Younghyun’s shoulders and Younghyun’s hand resting on Jae’s lower back, and Younghyun thinks that it’s more comfortable than either of them could have anticipated when Wonpil first attempted to introduce them. 

“My apartment is too farrr,” Jae whines, drawing out the last syllable far longer than necessary.

“Come to mine,” Younghyun blurts. Then, quieter, “it’s closer.”

Jae’s cheeks are flushed red, probably from both the alcohol and the cool night air, and he looks at Younghyun with wide doe eyes. “Can I really?”

“Of course,” Younghyun replies, and Jae’s face splits into a loopy grin. 

“I’m gonna see where  _ the  _ Brian Kang lives,” he says in a pleasant sing song, and Younghyun is confused. Clearly Jae isn’t  _ that  _ drunk, because he picks up on Younghyun’s expression quickly. “Come on man, don’t tell me you didn’t know that half of our campus was dying to get to see the inside of your room. And not for study sessions, if you know what I mean.”

Younghyun flushes. “Let’s just get a cab,” he says, and Jae laughs loud and warm in his ear. Younghyun doesn’t mind it at all.

+

Jae whistles when Younghyun finally manages to unlock his front door, fingers fumbling in the dark and from nerves. He makes a show of looking around appreciatively while Younghyun hovers awkwardly by the door. When he turns back to Younghyun, Jae is smiling.

“This’ll do,” he says, and Younghyun sputters. 

“What does that  _ mean _ ?”

“For when I write my post in the alumi network about how I got to see where  _ the  _ Brian Kang lives. It needs to be impressive, Younghyun, my reputation among our peers is riding on this,” Jae replies, and Younghyun doesn’t know if it’s a culmination of the night’s events or if he’s just always this ridiculous. 

“I think I can only afford this place because the landlady thinks I look like her son,” he admits sheepishly, and Jae lets out a bark of laughter.

“I’d like to meet her son then.” The hell does  _ that  _ mean?

Before Younghyun has a chance to ask, Jae’s turned to the kitchen and is opening Younghyun’s fridge.

“What are you doing?” Younghyun finds himself asking instead, because it seems to be the more pressing question.

“I am gonna cook for you,” Jae says, pulling out a half empty carton of eggs. Or Younghyun supposes it could be considered half full, but he was never really an optimist. 

“We just ate,” Younghyun points out, and Jae snorts.

“College you would be appalled that you’re trying to turn down food,” he replies, and Younghyun can’t really argue with that. Jae turns back to see Younghyun’s expression, and then his pretty lips turn up into a smug smile. “See? You know I’m right. Now help me find the rest of the stuff I need so I can make us some omelettes.”

Younghyun makes a show of being reluctant but he helps anyway, pulling out a bowl and a fork and turning on the stove, Jae having found the butter and frying pan all on his own. Jae tasks Younghyun for beating the eggs, and Younghyun takes that as an opportunity to hop up on the counter and let his legs swing in front of him as he works. Jae pinches teasingly at the side of Younghyun’s knee, exposed by the ripped jeans he’s wearing, and Younghyun yelps, nearly splashing egg on himself. Jae laughs, head tipping back and eyes scrunching up beautifully. 

Younghyun doesn’t even care about eating anymore—he just wants to have that view, all the time. He wants to tell Jae that for a fleeting half moment, before he thinks better of it and swallows it down like he does with everything else.

He does the same with the omelettes a few minutes later. They’re delicious. 

+

Jae sleeps on the couch and Younghyun in his own bed, despite his repeated offers to reverse the situation. Jae never seemed to consider taking another cab back to his own place, which sort of makes Younghyun glow with pride in a weird way. He wants them to be friends, to be close, and this seems like, well. It’s just that. 

He blames it on the nerves that he wakes up so early—early being 11 a.m., which is early for him—but even then, Jae’s still up before Younghyun, shuffling around in Younghyun’s kitchen in his rumpled shirt with some really incredible bedhead. 

“Hey,” Younghyun says, voice still low and thick with sleep. Jae looks up the stove, looking a bit like a startled deer, before his face splits into a smile.

“Morning,” he answers, moving the pan so Younghyun can hear the sizzle. “I found bacon in your fridge and we already had eggs so. Bacon it is.”

“Bacon is good,” Younghyun agrees, feeling stupid as soon as the words leave his mouth. Jae doesn’t seem to mind, though. 

“It should be done soon, if you wanna grab plates?” Jae prompts, and Younghyun does as he’s told despite being in his own home. Whatever, it’s not like he can complain when Jae is the one making sure he eats. 

Breakfast is easy, conversation flowing and their lips growing slick from bacon grease as Younghyun finds himself smiling more and more easily. Younghyun does the dishes while Jae leans his whole torso over the counter so they can still chat, and Younghyun nearly scalds himself with the hot water when he looks up to see Jae’s pretty collarbones exposed and at eye level. He’s wearing his outfit from the night before, having neatly returned the clothes Brian lent him for pajamas before Brian even had a chance to see Jae wearing them. Not like he’s sad about that or anything. 

The numbers on the clock tick higher and higher, and Younghyun is reminded that at some point, Jae does actually have to go home. Jae seems to realize it too, because he sighs, straightening as Younghyun dries his hands with the dish towel.

“I should get out of your hair,” Jae says, and Younghyun is quick to correct him. 

“You made me food, you’re welcome to stay forever. But I won’t keep you,” he replies, and Jae answers with a laugh and a roll of his eyes.

“Think of how disgusted our college selves would be if they could see us now,” Jae points out, and Younghyun just smiles.

“For what it’s worth, I think we turned out okay.”

“Me too,” Jae agrees. “But I still should get going.” 

Younghyun walks him to the door, and just as Jae’s about to leave, he turns back.

“Don’t worry if you don’t hear from me for a while, okay? This is the time when a lot of decisions get made so I’ll be busy, but no news is good news right now. I promise I’ll let you know as soon as there’s anything to tell,” he says, and Younghyun nods.

“Got it. I’ll save all my weepy phone calls for Wonpil,” he replies good naturedly, reveling in Jae’s loud laugh.

“You joke but honestly that sounds entirely plausible,” he replies, and Younghyun flashes him a quick wink.

“Guess you’ll never know,” he teases. “I’d say see you soon, but we’re not making any promises so I’ll see you when I see you?”

“See you when I see you,” Jae affirms, and then he’s walking down the hall and Younghyun is left to hover weirdly in his doorway until Jae makes it to the elevator and then is gone. 

It’s good, Younghyun thinks to himself, in a way. Jae being busy will give Younghyun time to figure out his mess of feelings. Though, as he watches Jae leave, he thinks that maybe he already knows. He just wants Jae—it’s as simple as that. 

+

As things turn out, the fact that Jae is working a lot ends up not being the only thing keeping Younghyun’s mind off of both writing and feelings. The next office Younghyun is assigned to keeps him crazy busy, and any free time he has, he uses to figure out how the hell he can get out of being a temp because he’s really starting to think it’s killing him. That combined with Jae’s warning about his schedule means that it’s no surprise when their only communication for weeks after Jae spending the night is a single text chain where Jae tells him that “Goodbye Winter” got sent on to acquisitions and now they have to wait some more. Truly exciting stuff. 

It’s not that Younghyun isn’t grateful, because he is! He just wishes things could move a little faster, that the deal could just be a sure thing already so he can feel good about quitting his job and trying to find something else. Honestly, though, he’s a bit scared of this next step. As much as he wants out of being a temp, the prospect of becoming a published author is scary in and of itself, as is the idea that he may not be in contact with Jae as much. Admittedly, Younghyun is still new to all of this, but he’s pretty sure Jae works mostly with signing new authors, not getting more deals for old clients. As far as Younghyun thinks they’ve come, the prospect of trying to talk to someone he, well,  _ likes _ , without the safety blanket of work is daunting. Yeah, he really should have gotten out more during his college years. 

Wonpil calls a few times, and when they talk Younghyun decides to leave out the fact that Jae spent the night after their night out. Wonpil seemed overjoyed that the two of them were getting along, but something about that night makes Younghyun want to keep it a secret, save it as something just for them. Nothing even happened, not really, but he keeps it to himself anyway. 

Despite Wonpil’s attempts to get Younghyun to look on the brightside, he still feels pretty solidly like a zombie until he’s in the middle of a hot date with his couch and a bottle of Yellow Tail when his phone rings. Thinking nothing of it, Younghyun answers without checking the caller ID, but before he can even say hello he has Jae blabbering in his ear. 

“Can you come to my office like right now?” Jae asks, speaking so fast it takes more than a moment for Younghyun to process what he’s hearing. In comparison, he answers achingly slow, though that could be in part due to the wine. 

“Now? Are you dying?” he asks, and Jae just laughs.

“Just get your ass over here as soon as you can,” he says, and then he’s hung up and Younghyun is left to stare at his phone and contemplate his life choices. Then, he calls a cab. 

+

The receptionist directs Younghyun to go straight back to Jae's office, though he already knows where he's going by now. He catches a glimpse of himself in a glass pane and realizes that maybe he should have tucked his button up back in before leaving, but it's too late to go back now so he just undoes the top two buttons so it looks a little more purposeful.

Jae's door is ajar when Younghyun gets there and he doesn't bother to knock, just pushes it the rest of the way open to announce his presence. Jae is behind his desk, but stands immediately when he sees Younghyun.

"I have something for you!" he says excitedly, shuffling around the papers on his desk until he finds what he's looking for. Younghyun steps forward to take it, but Jae comes out from behind his desk anyway, leaning against the front with a lazy kind of grin as he presents the paper to Younghyun.

Younghyun scans it as quickly as he can, and his eyes are drawn to bold print at the bottom: approved manuscripts. There, first on the list, is “Goodbye Winter.” It’s approved. Younghyun can’t believe it.

When he looks up, Jae has a big stupid grin on his face. “Really?” Younghyun asks, nearly breathless.

“Really,” Jae nods. “I’m supposed to draft up the agreement by the end of the week so I can officially offer you a deal, but I just couldn’t keep it to myself until then.”

“Oh my god,” Younghyun says. “Oh my god.”

“I know,” Jae answers, and Younghyun doesn’t know what gets into him but suddenly he’s stepping forward, arms wrapping around Jae’s neck in a tight hug. He feels Jae’s body tense for just a second in surprise, and then Jae’s arms are around Younghyun’s waist and he’s  _ hugging Younghyun back _ . 

Younghyun is the one who has to pull back first, because he’s getting too hot and flustered and he knows that if he lets himself stay wrapped up in Jae’s arms any longer he’ll never want to leave. 

Younghyun clears his throat, and Jae’s hands fall to his sides, eventually moving to brace himself as he leans back on his desk.

“Thank you,” Younghyun says. “For liking my book, for believing in it, for fighting for me even though I was an asshole. Thank you.”

Jae shrugs sheepishly. “Well, I figured I’d done my share of being an asshole so it was only fair to give you a turn.”

Younghyun just grins at him, and then Jae switches gears. “Let’s celebrate! A dinner this time, since it’s about to be official. I’ll take you someplace nice, Kang.”

He’s smiling, big and lazy, eyes crinkled up at the corners and shoulders relaxed, hands bracing himself against the front of his desk. That’s when Younghyun decides. 

“On one condition,” he says. “Don’t just take me someplace nice, take me  _ out _ someplace nice. Though honestly, I don’t really care if it’s nice or not, as long as you’re the one taking me.”

“Take you out,” Jae repeats, smile softening, eyes widening in wonder.

“Yes,” Younghyun nods affirmatively. “Like a date. In case that wasn’t clear.”

“Oh it was clear,” Jae says, smile widening to even bigger, even brighter than before. “You really know how to surprise a guy, Kang.”

“What can I say? I like to keep you on your toes,” Younghyun replies, stepping just a little bit closer, fingers reaching up to trace the stitching on Jae’s collar. “I know we just agreed to a first date, but I’d really like to kiss you. Is that too slutty of me?”

“I really don’t think being too slutty is what you should be concerned with,” Jae answers cheekily, and then he’s stepping forward too, big hands wrapping around Younghyun’s waist and pretty lips finally,  _ finally _ finding Younghyun’s own. 

Younghyun thinks that if their college selves could see them now, they’d probably keel over and die of embarrassment. He doesn’t have it in him to care, though, because the past is the past and right now, in this moment, he’s got Jae’s lips on his and that’s all that matters.

When Jae pulls back, he gives Younghyun a knowing smirk. “You really got it all, huh? A book deal and the boy, all in one afternoon.”

Younghyun grins back, giving Jae a playful punch to the arm. “If anyone’s got it all, it’s you. I’m the real catch here.”

Jae gives Younghyun an exaggerated once over, and then while Younghyun’s distracted by that, leans in to press a quick kiss to Younghyun’s cheek. “Yeah,” he agrees, “I think you’re right.”

Younghyun’s never letting him live that down, and tells Jae as much— Jae just laughs it off, saying he’d be happy to be reminded of it if it’s Younghyun doing the reminding.

Again, Younghyun thinks of how far they’ve come, and this time he’s filled with nothing but anticipation for the future.

Yeah, he thinks. They’re going to be great. 


End file.
